Foot supporting bandage



Sept. 26, 1944. E. EIN$TO$S ,3

FOOT SUPPORTING BANDAGE Fil ed Aug. 16, 1941 Patented Sept. 26, 1944 UNITED sT-AT Foo'r SUPPORTING BANDAGE Edward Einstoss; Chicago, 111., assignor to 'lghe Chicago, 111., a corporation Scholl Mfg. Co. Inc'., of New York Application August 16', 1941, Serial No. 407,125

I e ol i s. (01. 128- 1665) This invention relates to a foot supporting bandage, and more particularly to a bandage adapted to pircumscribe a portion of the foot and lend support to adjacent parts of the foot, although the invention will have other andfur ther advantages as will later appear.

In the past, many and various types of foot supporting devices, including those of the bandage type, have been produced but in most instances these formerly known devices were extremely difiicult to place in proper position on the foot and just as frequently did not remain in proper adjustment or position on the foot after some walking by the user. Further, the types of bandage support heretofore known were, in most instances, one-purpose devices adapted only to provide support for a specific part of the foot. Such bandages, While giving-some support to a certain :part of the foot, were not adapted to also maintain adjacent parts of the foot in proper position. Hence, if the foot had become weakened, some portions of the foot might break down while the specific part was being aided or corrected.

Further, many of the devices heretofore known were not as sanitary as is desired, and in'many cases after relatively short usage, and long before the device has shown actual wear, it would have to be discarded for sanitary reasons. v

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide afoot supporting bandage which may be very" easily slipped onto the foot in substantially similar manner to the insertion of a foot into a shoe, and which bandage will assume and. retain a proper position on the footindefinitely and without regard to the type of footwear worn.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a foot supporting bandage which may be readily and easily attached to the foot either inside or outside of an'article of hosiery, and comfortably worn with the users regular footwear, the structure being without bulk and fitting so intimately to the foot as to cause no discomfort to the user even with a shoe or other article of footwear commonly worn without a supporting bandage.

Still another important object of this invention is the provision of a foot supporting bandage not only designed to give adequate aid to a weakened or fallen longitudinal arch of the foot, but also adapted to simultaneously hold in proper position the structure of the tarsus and meta tarsus in the event either of these parts of the foot are in a Weakenedcondition;

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a foot supporting bandage made up of "a' pair of pieces of non-elastic material secured together in a manner to provide an opensided pocket in which is removably inserted properly-shaped means for supporting the longitudina1-1 arch ofthe foot.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide a foot supporting bandage having a removable longitudinal arch supporting member, both said arch supporting member and the remainder of the'bandage being easily laundered when desired.

Also an object of this invention is the .provision of a foot supporting bandage comprising relatively thin non-elastic material having projecting portions thereon, which portions are connected by elastic ligaments so as to enable the bandage to embrace the foot, fit the foot' intimately; and stay in" position, arch supporting means being removably disposed within and carried by'the bandage. Still a further object of the "inventionresides in-the' provision of afoot supporting bandage arranged tolend support to the longitudinal arch between thefirst metatarsal head and the os icalcis; and also to give acompression' support to the tarsus and metatarsus, the bandage being eas'ilyplaced in proper position on the foot, e'co-' nomically manufactured and used, and highly durable.

While som'eof the more salient features, char acteristics and advantages of the'present invention have been above pointed out, otherswilI become apparent from the following disclosures,

taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: f

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan viewof a human foot equipped with a foot supporting device embodying principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of the foot and bandage seen in Figure 1; 'Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the foot and bandage, taken substantially as indicated by the line III-III of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary inside plan View of the bandage itself laid out in the'flat, with parts broken away for purposes of better illustration;

and Figure 5 is a transverse vertical'sectional View through the bandage, taken substantially as indicated by the line VV of Figure 4. 7

As shown on the drawing: *In the illustrated embodiment of the present inventionthere is shown a supporting bandage attached'to the foot in a position to transversely embrace th foot in the region of the instep, a part of the bandage being anchored around the rear of the foot over the tendo-Achillis above the tuberosity of the s calcis, which anchorage better maintains the bandage in position on the foot without the necessity of binding the foot to the extent of discomfort.

With reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that in the illustrated instance the bandag is made up mainly of two separate pieces of material, of which an inner piece [0 i provided with a widened central region II, and also with a pair of ears or tabs l2 and I3 extending from opposed portionsof the widened central part II. In this instance, the tabs l2 and i3 project substantially at rightan-gles' to each other. An outer piece is also provided with a widened central portion I 5, from which portion a pair of spaced ears or tabs Hi and H. ex.- tend on one side, and a pair of spacedv ears. or tabs 18 and I9 extend from the opposite side, the tabs I8 and I9 having a slightly different angularity therebetween than the tabs Hi and t1 so as to enable better adjustmentof the entire structure to the contour of the foot.

The material used in making the pieces. HI and I4 is preferably a relatively thin, non-elastic ma:- terial which may be. rendered impervious tomoisture in any suitable manner if so desired.

The enlarged central portion H and; I of the pieces l0 and M, respectively, are joined together, in this instance, by stitching 20. It will be noted that.the stitching is in the form of a curvate line the end portions of which are turned in: a reverse bend, as indicated at 21 and 22, thereby forming a substantially oval pocket betweenthe bandage members 10 and 14*. This pocket is open along one side edge, as indicated at 23, to permit the insertion of a longitudinal arch supporting member 24.

With reference more particularly to Figures 3 and 5 it will be seen that in. the illustrated; instance the arch supporting member 24 is preferably of resilient material such as rubber, sponge rubber, latex, or the equivalent. It will also be noted. that the member 24' is. thickest at-the point ultimately disposed immediatelybeneath theinner high point of the longitudinal arch, namely, beneath that portion of the longitudinal arch. farthest from the ground when the foot is in normal standing position. region the member 24 tapers in all directionsto: a relatively thin edge. The member; 24 also has a somewhat curvate shape, as seen best in-Figure 3; so that it not only fits. beneath the plantar surface of the longitudinal arch' but also embraces a portion of the inner side wall of the foot in the region of the longitudinal arch.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the bandage support is seen in association with a. foot 25, and with reference to Figure 3, the disposition of the arch supporting member 24' is best seen. It will be From this thickest area or noted that the positioning and shape of this arch supporting member is such as'to afford adequate support throughout the entire width of the inner longitudinal arch of the foot. I

In order to maintain the bandage in. intimate association with the foot and in the proper location on the foot, suitable elastic or stretchable ligaments are employed. The projecting tab 12 of the inner piece Ill and the projecting tab IGof the outer piece I4 are joined together by anelastic ligament 26. Likewise, the projectin tabs l1 and I8 of the outer piece 14' are joined by an elastic ligament 21; The remaining tab 13 0f the inner member and the remaining. tab IQ of the outer member are joined by a somewhat longer elastic ligament 28. With uch elastic ligaments joining opposed or substantially oppositely disposed projections, the entire bandage is given such a shape as to enable it to circumscribe the instep portion of the foot. Th ligaments 26 and 21 extend over th top of the instep. In order to insure easy application of the bandage and also to give added assurance of the bandage staying in proper position on the foot without undue binding of the foot, the longer ligament 28 i disposed around the rear of the foot, as seen best in Figures 1 and 2, passin over the tendo-Achillis above the tuberosity of th 0s calcis. Due to the elasticityof the various ligaments 26, 21 and 28, the supporting bandage is intimately fitted around the foot, not sufficiently tightly to cause discomfort, to the: user,.but sufficiently tightly to aid materially in. maintaining and holding the structures of the tarsus and metatarsus of the foot in proper position. Thus, while treatment and support tending torestore a weakened or fallen longitudinal arch of the foot is adequately provided, at the same time a weakened tarsus and metatarsusare also given aid and prevented from assuming any maladjusted position.

It is a simple expedient to place my novel supporting: bandage in proper position upon the foot, either beneath or outside an article of hosiery. The foot is slipped. throughthe bandage, beneath the ligaments 26- and 21 in the manner in which a shoe is'placed upon the foot, and then the ligament.28 is drawn over the heelof the foot to the position seen in Figure 2. Once in position upon the. foot, the bandage will remain there, regardless of the type of footwear worn by the user, or regardlessof the users activity, until the bandage is. intentionally removed.

It will also be noted that by virtue of the character of the material forming the bandage, the entire bandage may be readily laundered or sterilized. This is facilitated by the fact that the archsupporting member 24 may be easily removed from the pocket between the pieces In and i4 and again reinserted in the pocket after the cleansing operation is completed.

It is further apparent that the thinness of the bandage, the only; thick portion being the supporting member 24; which is disposed beneath the arch portion of the foot, makes it possible for the bandage to be worn comfortably in articles of footwear with which no bandage previously known could be worn. This thinness and lightness of the bandage also makes it possible to conveniently carry the bandage around and have it available wherever the user may travel, since it is easily folded into small, compact form, readily insertable in a pocket, hand-bag, pocketbook or the like, in the event the user does not require the bandage atall. times, but perhaps only upon occasions of unusually strenuous exercise or infrequent exertion.

From the foregoing, the economy, facility and durability of the bandage of my invention will be apparent.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than-necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an arch supporting bandage, a pair of pieces oi material having widened. intermediate portions arranged in superposed relationship and secured together, arch supporting means carried by said supenposed portions, each of said pieces having tabs projecting therefrom, and means connecting the tabs of one piece with the tabs of the other piece to permit said bandage to transversely circumscribe the foot.

2. In an arch supporting bandage, a non-elastic fabric member having a widened intermediate portion and a pair of spaced tabs extending from each of opposite sides of said widened portion, a second non-elastic [member having a widened intermediate portion with a single tab extending from each of opposite sides of said widened portion, said widened portions being superposed and stitched together to provide a pocket, arch supporting means in said pocket, and elastic means joining the two tabs of the second member to two tab of the first member and joining the remaining tabs of the first member to provide a bandage capable of circumscribing the foot.

3. In an arch supporting bandage, a non-elastic member having a widened intermediate portion and a pair of spaced tabs extending from each of opposite sides of said portion, a second non-elastic member having a widened intermediate portion with a pair of spacedand angularly disposed tabs extending therefrom, said widened portions being superposed with one disposed transversely to the other and secured together, an arch supporting element between said portions, and elastic ligaments joining the tabs of the second member to tabs of the first member and joining the remainin tabs of the first member to each other.

EDWARD EINSTOSS, 

